Exploring Michigan and the American Civil War

May 10, 2008

Michigan in the CW blogs

It's gratifying to do my Saturday morning webcrawl and find mention of Michigan/Civil War items out there...

Yesterday Jenny Goellnitz features the Cavalry monument on the Draw the Sword, mentioning how "it stands on the East Cavalry battlefield at the location where the 1st Michigan of Custer’s brigade clashed with Stuart’s charging troopers." A few days earlier she cited how a U.S. artillery unit was stationed on Mackinac Island at war's inception: 2d US.

Also yesterday, Drew Wagenhoffer mentions (at the end of entry) that the Kalamazoo CWRT will announce the winner of the Albert Castel award next week: CW Books & Authors. Previous winners included Cunningham's Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862. Michigander Albert Castel, as should be known, wrote some great books on the era.

On May 8 (speaking of Shiloh) Nick Kurtz posts about the heroism of the 12th and 15th Infantry and Michigan Light Artillery at Pittsburg Landing, with great pics of the State monument: Battlefield Wanderings. Especially nice is inclusion of the inscription with the final phrase, "More enduring than this granite will be the gratitude of Michigan to her soldiers of Shiloh."

On April 30 Michael Aubrecht posts about his discovery of Michigan having its own "Stonewall Brigade", the 17th Infantry, and its gallant fights at Antietam: Pinstripe Press. As for the copyright/trademark issue, tho not an intellectual property attorney I believe Jackson's brigade did not own/protect the name because (1) it probably expired (see US Copyright Office) and (2) they surely didn't protect it via a federal agency (LOL, as the younger generation would say).

There was a story with Michigan connection from that date on Civil War Interactive. I frequently find Michigan items here that are from non-Detroit area news sources.

On April 20 Brian Downey posts about that same topic, the 17th Infantry, thanks to a diversion to Fox's Gap and touring the markers associated with that important fight: Antietam on the Web. Great pic of the 17th's monument.

Of course, practically one can always find new posts since the last visit about Michigan soldiers at Steve Soper's 3rd Michigan. He's been doing it since 2006 and is up to the "C's".